Footwear with arch support and cushioning

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a footwear article with arch support and cushioning. The footwear article maybe in the form of a sandal including but not limited to a thong sandal, such as a flip flop.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to the field of footwear and inparticular to flip flop or sandal type footwear with comfort components.

BACKGROUND

Flip flops or thongs are a type of footwear consisting of a flat sole,which is secured to the foot by an engagement means. The engagementmeans may be in the form of a strap across the front of the foot or inthe case of thong type flip flops, the engagement means may be in theform of a Y-shaped strap, which passes from either side of the foot fromcloser to the heel to between the big toe and second toe.

This form of footwear while popular as summer wear provide little tonothing in terms of cushioning and arch support. Accordingly, extendedwear of traditional flip-flops can result in foot discomfort and pain.Further, such footwear with no cushioning and arch support cause notjust foot discomfort and foot pain, but also knee pain, anterior hippain, ankle pain, leg pain and lower back pain.

Accordingly, there is a need for a footwear article that maintains theaesthetic appeal of the traditional flip flop, but has increasedcushioning and arch support.

This background information is provided to reveal information believedby the applicant to be of possible relevance to the present invention.No admission is necessarily intended, nor should be construed, that anyof the preceding information constitutes prior art against the presentinvention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a footwear with archsupport and cushioning. In accordance with an aspect of the presentinvention, there is provided a footwear article comprising: an elongatesole comprising a medial side, a lateral side, a longitudinal center,and a latitudinal center; said elongate sole comprising a top portion, abottom portion, a sandwich portion, a toe section, a heel section and amid foot section, wherein said top portion and said bottom portion areaffixed together in the toe section and said top portion, said bottomportion and said sandwich portion are affixed together in the heelsection and in the mid foot section, wherein said sandwich portion ispresent between said top portion and said bottom portion and has a widththat gradually decreases from said heel section to said mid footsection; a foot engagement means that is securely connected to saidelongate sole; and said top portion of said heel section comprises aspatial provision to accommodate a cushioning material, wherein saidcushioning material is present in said spatial provision of the topportion of said heel section.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 illustrates a lateral, bottom, top and medial view of oneembodiment of the flip flop.

FIG. 2 illustrates the top and bottom view of an embodiment of thecushion gel.

FIG. 3 illustrates the dimensions of the various parts of one embodimentof the flip flop via the outside, bottom, inside, sectional and topviews.

FIG. 4 illustrates the dimensions of an embodiment of the cushion gelvia the bottom, sectional and top views.

FIG. 5 illustrates the top view of an embodiment of the foot engagementmeans.

FIG. 6 illustrates the side view of an embodiment of the foot engagementmeans.

FIG. 7 illustrates a picture of an embodiment of the flip flop shot fromthe top.

FIG. 8 illustrates the bottom view of an embodiment of the flip flop.

FIG. 9 illustrates the bottom view of an embodiment of the flip flopalong with the mould used to form the bottom portion of the flip flop.

FIG. 10 illustrates the mould used to form the bottom portion of anembodiment of the flip flop.

FIG. 11 illustrates a Vernier Caliper measuring the thickness of anembodiment of the cushion gel.

FIG. 12 illustrates various embodiments of flip flop designs.

FIG. 13 illustrates the specifications of the flip flop in anembodiment.

FIG. 14 illustrates various embodiments of the flip flop.

FIG. 15 illustrates various embodiments of the flip flop.

FIG. 16 illustrates an embodiments of the decorative ornament.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an open footwear article with archsupport and cushioning. The footwear article maybe in the form of asandal including but not limited to flip flop or a thong sandal.

As used herein, the term “about” refers to a +/−10% variation from thenominal value. It is to be understood that such a variation is alwaysincluded in a given value provided herein, whether or not it isspecifically referred to.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill inthe art to which this invention belongs.

Referring to FIG. 1, the open footwear article comprises a sole and afoot engagement means. The open footwear article may be a “thong-type”flip flop or may be a slip-on type flip flop with at least one strapacross the front of the foot.

Sole:

The sole is a generally elongate member, which may be generallyrectangular shaped or contoured to follow the shape of the foot. Thesole come in various dimensions to accommodate different foot sizes(women's, children's and men's sizes) and foot widths. As shown in FIG.1, the sole comprises a toe section 106, a heel section 107, a mid footsection 108, a medial side 110, a lateral side 111, a longitudinalcenter and a latitudinal center. The sole is constructed from at leastone portion. In embodiments, the sole is constructed from at least twoportions. In further embodiments, the sole is constructed from at leastthree portions. In embodiments comprising at least three portions, asshown in FIG. 1, these portions include a top portion 103 which contactsthe underside of the foot, a bottom portion 104 which is in directcontact with the ground and a sandwich portion 105 positioned in betweenthe top and bottom portions.

In certain embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, the top and bottom portionsare affixed together in the toe section. The heel section and the midfoot section comprise the top, the sandwich and the bottom portionsaffixed together. The sandwich portion has a thickness that graduallydecreases from the heel section towards the mid foot section of the sole(for example, is wedge shaped). The sandwich portion may extend from theheel section half way towards the toe section, two-third's towards thetoe section, or three-fourth's towards the toe section of the sole.

In other embodiments, the sandwich portion stretches throughout theentire length of the sole. In such embodiments, the sandwich portion mayhave a thickness that is uniform throughout its length or may have athickness that gradually decreases along its entire length from the heelsection to the toe section of the sole.

Affixing of the portions may be carried out via the use of some adhesivemeans. The adhesive means may be glue, epoxy resin, gum, paste, orbonding agent or other adhesive means known to a worker skilled in theart. Affixing of the portions may also be carried out viastitching/sewing the various portions together. A worker skilled in theart will readily understand various other ways of affixing the portionstogether.

The top portion of the sole may be shaped to follow the contours of theunderside of the foot. For example, the top portion may be contoured toprovide arch support. The top portion of the sole may also haveprovisions for accommodating comfort components. For example, the topportion may include a cut out for insertion of comfort components or thetop portion may be a moulded component that has indentations forinsertion of comfort components. The comfort components may include butare not limited to cushioning or shock absorbing materials, soft spongelike materials or other components known to a worker skilled in the art.Optionally, the top portion of the sole comprises some form of suctionmechanism that helps the sole adhere to the underside of a user's foot.For example, the suction mechanism may be suction cups. Optionally, thetop portion of the sole may also include massage elements such as spacedbumps, ridges or spikes that help massage the bottom of the user's footand/or a covering material may be adhered to the top portion of thesole. This covering material may be constructed of material that wouldincrease comfort. For example, it may be constructed of a material thatabsorbs moisture.

A worker skilled in the art would readily appreciate that the portionsof the sole may be constructed out of various materials. For example,the top and sandwich portions may be made out of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate(EVA), rubber, plastic, leather, or water resistant materials or othermaterials that would be known to a worker skilled in the art. The bottomportion may be made out of Vulcanized Rubber, leather, or waterresistant materials or other materials that would be known to a workerskilled in the art. In embodiments where the sole is a single portion,the sole may be made up of rubber, leather, or water resistant materialsor other materials known to a worker skilled in the art. In embodiments,the various portions of the sole may be made out of one or morematerials that are moisture resistant and hypoallergenic.

The sole may be curved such that when it is placed on a flat surface, asshown in FIG. 4, the toe section and the heel section of the sole areraised from the flat surface. The amount of elevation at the toe sectionmay be significantly more than that at the heel section.

The top portion of the sole may include design elements. These designelements may be printed, embossed, engraved or sewn, etc.

The surface area of the bottom portion that is in direct contact withthe ground may be treaded for traction. The surface area of the bottomportion that is in direct contact with the ground may include additionaldesigns (for example, designs to promote marketing such as trademarks orlogos), as shown in FIG. 9, embedded such that it imprints it onprintable or mouldable surfaces that come in contact with the sole.

Cushioning:

The sole may comprise cushioning material inserted into the sole. Forexample, the top portion of the sole may comprise cushioning material incertain strategic areas to provide comfort to the parts of the undersideof the foot that come in contact with those areas. The cushioningmaterial may be a cushion gel, air pockets, any shock absorbingmaterial, or other materials that would be known to a worker skilled inthe art.

For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the heel section of the sole comprisescushioning materials such as cushion gel 109. As shown in FIG. 2 andFIG. 4, the footwear may comprise a single cushion gel per piece.Alternatively, the footwear may comprise multiple cushion gels. As shownin FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the cushion gel may be centered at the heelsection of the sole to provide increased comfort to the user of thefootwear. Optionally, the sole section which is in contact with the ballof the foot may include cushioning materials such as cushion gel whichmay be a single cushion gel or multiple cushion gels that arestrategically located.

A worker skilled in the art would readily appreciate that cushion gelmay be in various shapes, sizes and thicknesses of the cushion gel. Forexample, the shape of the cushion gel may be elliptical, circular,square, rectangular, orthogonal, rhombic, pentagonal, octagonal, orhexagonal or any other shape that would be known to a worker skilled inthe art.

The cushion gel may be made out of Thermoelastic Elastomer (TPE), whichis sometimes referred to as Thermoplastic Rubber (TPR), silicone orother materials that would be known to a worker skilled in the art.

The surface area of the top part 202 of the cushion gel and the surfacearea of the top portion of the sole may be inline with each other.Alternatively, the surface area of the top part of the cushion gel isbulged relative to the surface area of the top portion of the sole(i.e., the surface area of the top part of the cushion gel may not beinline with the surface area of the top portion of the sole). In suchembodiments, the bulged surface area of the top part 202 of the cushiongel may have a concaved curvature to it. In embodiments as shown in FIG.2, the bottom part 203 of the cushion gel is flat. Optionally, the toppart of the cushion gel may have alternating upper 401 and lower 402grooves as shown in FIG. 4.

The cushion gel may have an uniform or non-uniform thickness. Forexample, the cushion gel may be thicker in the center compared to theperiphery. In such embodiments, the thickness of the cushion gelgradually decreases radially outward from the center. A worker skilledin the art would readily understand that the above mentioned cushion gelcan be readily replaced by other cushioning or shock absorbing materialsknown in the art.

The cushioning or shock absorbing material may be made out of one ormore materials that are moisture resistant and hypoallergenic.Optionally, the top surface of the cushioning or shock absorbingmaterial may have massage elements such as bumps, ridges or spikes thathelp massage the portion of the sole of the foot that comes in contactwith the cushioning material. The cushioning material may be secured tothe top portion of the sole via some adhesive means or sewing or otherapparent techniques known to a worker skilled in the art.

Arch Support:

The medial side of the mid foot section of the sole optionally has anarch support, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, to provide support andcomfort to the arch portion of the foot. The arch support may have acurvature that conforms to the arch of the user's foot, therebyproviding the necessary support. For example, the curvature of the archsupport is concave. The arch support may be of varying heights toaccommodate arch curvatures of different magnitudes from completely flatfeet to high arched feet.

The arch support may be bulged on the medial side of the mid footsection of the sole and the thickness gradually decreases radiallyoutward.

The arch support and the top portion of the sole may be of unitaryconstruction. For example, the arch support's contour may be mouldedinto the top portion. Alternatively, the arch support may be a separateconstruction than the top portion of the sole which is affixed to thetop portion. The arch support may be constructed out of material that isthe same as the top portion or different from that of the top portion.The arch support may be made out of one or more materials that aremoisture resistant and hypoallergenic.

In alternative embodiments, the medial side of the mid foot section ofthe top portion of the sole has a pocket of material that can beinflated or deflated with air or any appropriate gas. The pocket ofmaterial may be the same material as the top portion or a differentmaterial. Upon inflation of the pocket of material, it has a curvaturethat is bulged on the medial side of the mid foot section of the soleand the thickness gradually decreases radially outward. The pocket ofmaterial may be inflated or deflated to appropriately to accommodatearch curvatures of varying magnitudes. When the pocket of material isfully deflated, the medial side of the mid foot section of the sole isflat and inline with the rest of the surface of the top portion; thus,conforming to users that are flat footed. The pocket of material hassome form of a locking mechanism, as would be apparent to a workerskilled in the art, to lock-in the air/gas in the pocket. The pocket ofmaterial may be inflated using a hand held air pump.

Optionally, the arch support comprises a cushioning material on top toprovide added comfort. The cushioning material may be a single entitythat covers the entire surface area of the arch support or part of thesurface area of the arch support. Alternatively, multiple entities ofthe cushioning material are strategically located along the entiresurface area or part of the surface area of the arch support.

Foot Engagement Means:

A foot engagement means is provided to secure the sole of the footwearto the foot of a user. The foot engagement means may be a Y-shapedstrap, a buckled strap, a Velcro™ strap, lace, or other foot engagementmeans that would be readily known to a worker skilled in the art. Thefoot engagement means may be detachable for easy replacement with othersimilar foot engagement means with different designs. The underside ofthe foot engagement means optionally has a comfort component in placetherein to provide comfort to the top part of the foot. The top of thefoot engagement means may have one or more openings to accormmodateattachment of a decorative ornament. The one or more openings may beanywhere on the foot engagement means including in the centre portion ofthe Y shaped strap at the top of the protrusion that passes between thetoes and/or on one or both of the straps that pass on either side of thefoot. The foot engagement means may be made out of one or more materialsthat are moisture resistant and hypoallergenic.

In embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6, the foot engagement means102 is a Y-shaped strap. The Y-shaped strap may be in continuousconnection with three protrusions 302 that act as locks to secure theY-shaped strap to the sole through apertures in the sole. The Y-shapedstrap may be made out of a variety of materials including but notlimited to Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU), plastic, rubber, or leatheror other materials that would be known to a worker skilled in the art.The Y-shaped strap may have decorative elements attached, printed, orembossed on it. The decorative elements may be removable.

One of the three protrusions may be used to secure the Y-shaped strap tothe toe section of the sole such that the thong would pass between thebig toe and second toe and the other two protrusions may be used tosecure the Y-shaped strap such that the Y-shaped strap would pass fromeither side of the foot. The top part of the Y-shaped strap that is incontinuous connection with the protrusion that secures the Y-shapedstrap to the sole at the toe section may have a decorative ornamentaffixed to it. It would be apparent to a worker skilled in the art thatthe above mentioned Y-shaped strap can be readily replaced by other footengagement means known in the art.

Decorative Ornament and Fastening Mechanism:

In some embodiments one or more decorative ornaments may be attached tothe foot engagement means. The decorative ornament may constructed outof various materials including plastics, metals or alloys. In oneembodiment the decorative ornament is made out of a zinc based alloy.The decorative ornament may be permanently affixed to the top of theengagement means. The decorative ornament may be glued or stitched tothe top of the engagement means. In one embodiment, the decorativeornament may be affixed to the top of the engagement means in aremovable manner for easy replacement with other similar decorativeornaments. In embodiments where the decorative ornament is affixed tothe top of the engagement means in a removable manner, the decorativeornament may be affixed via a fastening mechanism. The fasteningmechanism may be a screw mechanism, snap button mechanism, clippingmechanism, clamping mechanism, hooking mechanism or other viablemechanisms that would be readily known to a worker skilled in the art.

In one embodiment, referring to FIG. 16, the decorative ornament may beregarded to comprise a two piece screw mechanism; a top piece 501 and abottom piece. The top piece may have a top surface 502 that has a designcomponent. The top surface may be in continuous connection with a frame503 and the bottom piece may be a screw that may be rotated into theframe; thus, affixing the decorative ornament to the engagement means.The decorative ornament may be removed by simply unscrewing the bottompiece from the frame of the top piece. A worker skilled in the art wouldreadily understand the workings of a screw mechanism. The frame, whichis in continuous connection with the top surface, may be a cylindricalstructure with a threaded central opening that accommodates the bottompiece, which may be a screw. A worker skilled in the art would readilyunderstand the dimensional requirements of the top and bottom pieces inorder to have the decorative ornament affixed to the engagement means.

In one embodiment, the decorative ornament may be regarded to comprise atwo piece snap button mechanism; a top piece and a bottom piece. The toppiece may have a top surface that has a design component. The topsurface may be in continuous connection with a frame, which may have acentral opening. The bottom piece may be a stud that locks into thecentral opening of the frame. A worker skilled in the art would readilyunderstand a snap button mechanism.

The invention will now be described with reference to specific examples.It will be understood that the following examples are intended todescribe embodiments of the invention and are not intended to limit theinvention in any way.

EXAMPLES Example 1

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a flip flop 100. The sole 101 of the flipflop is an elongated member that has a top portion 103, a bottom portion104, a sandwich portion 105, a toe section 106, a heel section 107 and amid foot section 108. The sole has a medial side 110, a lateral side111, a longitudinal center and a latitudinal center. The top and bottomportions are affixed together in the toe section. The top, the bottomand the sandwich portions are affixed together in the heel section andthe mid foot section of the sole. The sandwich portion has a thicknessthat gradually decreases from the heel section to the mid foot sectionof the sole. The entire length of the flip flop is about 248 mm for astandard women's size 7 flip flop.

The heel section of the sole comprises a cushion gel that is centered.The cushion gel is a single entity that is elliptical in shape. Thelength of the elliptically shaped cushion gel at its longitudinal centeris about 55.1 or 44 mm. The width of the elliptically shaped cushion gelat its latitudinal center is about 34 mm. The thickness of theelliptically shaped cushion gel gradually decreases radially outward.The thickness at its center is about 4.5 mm and at its periphery isabout 2.5 mm. The top part of the cushion gel is concave in shape andthe bottom part is flat. The top part of the cushion gel has alternatingupper 401 and lower 402 grooves as shown in FIG. 4, wherein the heightdifference between them is about 1 mm. The medial side of the mid footsection of the top portion of the sole, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3,has an arch support that has a bulged portion on the medial side, whichgradually decreases in thickness radially outward.

The top portion and sandwich portion of the sole are made out ofEthylene Vinyl Acetate and the cushion gel is made out of ThermoplasticElastomer. The cushion gel is made out of Thermoelastic Elastomer (TPE),which is sometimes referred to as Thermoplastic Rubber (TPR). The bottomportion of the sole is made out of Vulcanized Rubber. The flip flopcomprises a Y-shaped strap as a foot engagement means to secure the footof the user to the sole of the flip flop. The Y-shaped strap, as shownin FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, has three protrusions that act as locking meanssecuring or affixing the Y-shaped strap to the sole through apertures inthe sole. The Y-shaped strap is made out of Thermoplastic Polyurethane(TPU). One of the three protrusions secures the Y-shaped strap to thetoe section of the sole and the other two secure the Y-shaped strap tothe heel section of the sole. The Y-shaped strap protrusion at the toesection has a pendant affixed to its top part in a removable manner. Thependant has a screwing mechanism for it to be affixed to the Y-shapedstrap.

For example, referring again to FIG. 16, the decorative ornament isaffixed by means of a screw. The decorative ornament has a top surface502 and a frame 503. A screw that may be rotated into the frame; thus,affixing the decorative ornament to the engagement means. The frame is acylindrical structure with a threaded central opening that accommodatesa screw. The frame has a length of 5 mm from the top surface, a totaldiameter of 7 mm and a central threaded opening that has a diameter of 4mm.

The ornament is made out of Zinc based alloy.

The design on the decorative ornament may be any design including butnot limited to a peacock design, a sunflower design, a five petaldesign, or other designs that may constitute as viable options to aworker skilled in the art. In decorative ornament may be any size whichdoes not impact the ability to wear the flip flops. Referring to FIG.16, the peacock design may have a length of 20.5 mm and width of 41 mm;the petal design may have a diameter of 33.5 mm; and the sunflowerdesign may have a diameter of 31.0 mm.

It is obvious that the foregoing embodiments of the invention areexamples and can be varied in many ways. Such present or futurevariations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit andscope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obviousto one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scopeof the following claims.

1. A footwear article comprising: an elongate sole comprising a medialside, a lateral side, a longitudinal center, and a latitudinal center;said elongate sole comprising a top portion, a bottom portion, asandwich portion, a toe section, a heel section and a mid foot section,wherein said top portion and said bottom portion are affixed together inthe toe section and said top portion, said bottom portion and saidsandwich portion are affixed together in the heel section and in the midfoot section, wherein said sandwich portion is present between said topportion and said bottom portion and has a width that gradually decreasesfrom said heel section to said mid foot section; a foot engagement meansthat is securely connected to said elongate sole; and said top portionof said heel section comprises a spatial provision to accommodate acushioning material, wherein said cushioning material is present in saidspatial provision of the top portion of said heel section.
 2. Thefootwear article of claim 1, wherein said mid foot section has an archsupport.
 3. The footwear article of claim 2, wherein said arch supporthas a bulged curvature that decreases gradually radially outward fromsaid medial side of said mid foot section.
 4. The footwear article ofclaim 1, wherein said cushioning material is a cushion gel.
 5. Thefootwear article of claim 1, wherein said cushioning material is asingle entity.
 6. The footwear article of claim 1, wherein saidcushioning material is made of thermoplastic elastomer.
 7. The footweararticle of claim 5, wherein said cushioning material being a singleentity is centered at said heel section.
 8. The footwear article ofclaim 5, wherein said cushioning material being a single entity has ashape that is elliptical, circular, square, rectangular, orthogonal,rhombic, pentagonal, octagonal, or hexagonal.
 9. The footwear article ofclaim 1, wherein said top portion and said sandwich portion are made ofethyl vinyl acetate.
 10. The footwear article of claim 1, wherein saidbottom portion is made of vulcanized rubber.
 11. The footwear article ofclaim 1, wherein said foot engagement means has a decorative ornamentaffixed to it.
 12. The footwear article of claim 11, wherein said footengagement means has an opening to accommodate said decorative ornament.13. The footwear article of claim 11, wherein said decorative ornamentis permanently affixed or removably affixed to the engagement means. 14.The footwear article of claim 1, wherein said foot engagement means is aY-shaped strap, a buckled strap, a Velcro™ strap, or lace.
 15. Thefootwear article of claim 14, wherein said Y-shaped strap is a singlepiece with protrusions that serve as locks to secure the Y-shaped strapto the elongate sole via one or more apertures in the elongate sole. 16.The footwear article of claim 15, wherein said protrusions are three innumber and a first protrusion securing the Y-shaped strap to saidelongate sole at the toe section and a second protrusion and a thirdprotrusion securing the Y-shaped strap to said elongate sole at the heelposition.
 17. The footwear article of claim 14, wherein said Y-shapedstrap is made of thermoplastic polyurethane.
 18. The footwear article ofclaim 16, wherein said first protrusion's top has an opening toaccommodate said decorative ornament.
 19. The footwear article of claim18, wherein said decorative ornament is permanently affixed or removablyaffixed to said first protrusion's top.
 20. The footwear article ofclaim 11, wherein said decorative ornament is a pendant.
 21. Thefootwear article of claim 20, wherein said pendant is made of zinc basedalloy.
 22. The footwear article of claim 1, wherein said footwear is asandal, flip flop, Y-shaped flip flop, thong sandal, or jandal.
 23. Thefootwear article of claim 13, wherein said decorative ornament isaffixed using a screw mechanism.
 24. The footwear article of claim 18,wherein said decorative ornament is affixed using a screw mechanism.